Anniversary
by RedWing0109
Summary: Dick's tenth birthday was not what it was supposed to be.


**I meant to post this yesterday for my birthday, but I got so busy I didn't get the chance. It's another one dedicated to my Nana since I was born on her wedding anniversary. I hope you all enjoy it!**

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Anniversary

A cold wind cut through the late March air as Dick stood over his parents' graves. Today was supposed to have been happy, the best day of his life. He was double digits now, and Pop Haly would have given him a special spot in the show for his birthday. But it wasn't the best day of his life at all, and for the first time in his life, Dick didn't feel like flying. He and his parents should have been in church in whatever town they were in that year. His parents would have been holding hands, exuberant smiles on their faces, celebrating their wedding anniversary together. Dick would have been in between them barely able to sit still in the pew out of sheer excitement during the preacher's sermon.

But instead Dick was standing at his parents' graves, head bowed, arms wrapped tightly around himself to ward off the unnatural cold permeating his body. The large headstone that marked his parents' spot in the Wayne family cemetery shined in the sunlight, and the names on it seemed to shine with a divine radiance.

Dick dropped to his knees in despair, tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't do this," he muttered to himself. "I know you want me to be strong, to enjoy my new life without… with Bruce, but I _can't_. Mom, Dad, why did you leave me?"

Dick's shoulders shook with the force of his sobs, and for several minutes he was unable to speak. When he had calmed down enough to speak again, he cast his gaze towards the sky. "Why did you take them from me, God? What did I do to make you take my parents away? Why couldn't you have let them live for at least one more anniversary?"

The tears came again, and this time the force of his sobs forced Dick to curl up on the grass. "Why?" he muttered in between gasps. "Why did you take them?"

The sobs slowed again and Dick curled in on himself, his arms wrapped around his knees. "I just want to know why," he whispered, more to himself than God. "Why are they gone?"

He was unsure of how long he had lain like that before a large hand covered his shoulder. "Are you alright, Dick?"

Dick didn't move. "Why are they gone?"

"I don't know," Bruce said quietly, not moving his hand.

Dick turned his head to look up at his guardian. "Does God hate me, Bruce?"

Bruce looked down at Dick for a moment before scooping him up into a warm hug, his left hand rubbing soothing circles into his back. "I'm sure he doesn't, chum," he replied. "He has no reason to."

"Then why did he take my parents?"

Bruce was silent again, for a while longer than he was before. "Did I say something wrong?" Dick ventured to ask after a minute.

"No, chum," Bruce replied softly. "I just haven't thought about God in a long time. I, uh, I kind of gave up on him after my parents were killed."

Dick thought about that for a second before saying, "Then I guess I'll give up on him too."

The rubbing stopped suddenly, and Bruce said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Dick." He repositioned them so he was looking into Dick's eyes. "Everyone goes through a period in their life when it seems like giving up on God will help them, but it really doesn't. I don't want to see you lose your light."

"Did you lose yours, Bruce?" Dick asked suddenly. "When you gave up on God?"

Again, Bruce was silent. "I—I guess I did, chum," he managed to say. "And I really, really don't want to see that happen to you."

Dick sighed and wiped the tears from his eyes. "O—okay," he promised. "I won't give up on God, if—" he paused for a second, a slight smile playing at his lips "—you promise to give him another chance."

A slight chuckle escaped Bruce's lips as he pulled Dick in for another hug. "I promise, chum, for you."

Dick leaned in and rested his cheek on his guardian's shoulder. "You sent him to me, didn't you God? Because you knew I would need him to find you."

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**Thanks so much for reading! Yeah, I know Dick's parents' anniversary probably isn't on his birthday, but mine is on Nana's so I took some creative license when writing this for her. Please let me know what you thought!**

**~Red~**


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